Chapter 72: Black Flame Enters the Body
The Fire Lotus suddenly appeared. While it wouldn’t be fatal, the burning pain was still unbearable for most cultivators. Even with the abundant resources in Five Finger Mountain, cultivators dared not linger and began to retreat.
“Let’s retreat too.”
The disciples of Taisu Palace were faster and had ventured deep into the second peak of Five Finger Mountain. After helping a few junior brothers and sisters extinguish the Fire Lotuses, Liu Yiyun took a headcount and gathered everyone to retreat.
“Wait a moment.”
Just as they were about to fly out of the second peak, Yan Xiaoyang suddenly stopped.
Liu Yiyun looked over, “Sixth Junior Brother, what is it?”
Yan Xiaoyang scanned his surroundings, “I sensed a peculiar aura.” Sensing the aura was coming from the east, he immediately flew over.
Seeing this, the others quickly followed. Soon, they saw Yan Xiaoyang carrying a golden mass out of a cliff crevice.
“What is that thing?”
Liu Yiyun and the others gathered around and then clearly saw what Yan Xiaoyang was holding.
It was a small golden monkey, appearing to be only a few days old.
Yan Xiaoyang looked at the little monkey in his arms with pity, “Its parents are likely long gone. I wonder how it managed to survive trapped in the rock crevice all these days?”
Seeing Yan Xiaoyang’s expression, Liu Yiyun and the others exchanged helpless glances.
Well, with Sixth Junior Brother’s kind heart, he would surely bring this monkey back to Taisu Palace again.
Liu Yiyun said, “Let’s get out of the mountain quickly, lest the Elders wait too long.”
Yan Xiaoyang carefully held the little golden monkey and quickly followed the team.
On the other side, the people from Asura Gate were also fleeing frantically out of the mountain. Just as they were about to fly out of the first peak, a Fire Lotus appeared out of nowhere, blocking their path.
“Branch Leader, what do we do?”
The Qingzhou Branch Leader of Asura Gate quietly took out a piece of black jade lotus petal. The Qingzhou Branch Leader’s fingertip lit up with black light, and soon, black flames emerged from the lotus petal.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~”
Several wisps of black flames flew out and entered the bodies of the Asura Gate disciples.
“Go and stop the Fire Lotus.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the Asura Gate members seemed to be controlled and charged towards the Fire Lotus without regard for their lives, while the Qingzhou Branch Leader seized the opportunity to escape.
However, what he didn’t expect was that he hadn’t run far before he was intercepted by two figures, one large and one small.
The Qingzhou Branch Leader looked at the two people in front of him with vigilance, his fingertips glowing with intense black light, appearing ready to ignite the black jade lotus petal in his hand at any moment.
Hua Changxi frowned as she glanced into the distance at the Asura Gate disciples who were not fleeing but desperately fighting the Fire Lotus. She was once again certain that this Asura Gate was not a righteous sect.
“Leave the Mineral Spirit behind.”
Upon hearing this, the Qingzhou Branch Leader’s expression turned cold, “We worked hard to capture the Mineral Spirit. If you want it, go catch it yourselves. Don’t expect to get something for nothing, and don’t you know who you’re standing in front of?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Qingzhou Branch Leader ignited the black jade lotus petal in his hand.
“Hoo~”
“Hoo~”
Two streams of black flames rapidly attacked Hua Changxi and the Mountain Spirit.
Hua Changxi also unleashed a Fire Lotus at the same time.
The Fire Lotus and the black flames passed through each other, like two unrelated forces, neither able to overcome the other.
Seeing this, Hua Changxi was stunned. This moment of distraction gave the Qingzhou Branch Leader an opportunity.
When the Qingzhou Branch Leader saw the Fire Lotus, the image of the magnificent Fire Lotus that had blocked the giant monkey immediately flashed in his mind, nearly scaring him to death. Guessing that the one intercepting him was the fierce person who dared to fight the giant monkey, he gritted his teeth, expended most of his spiritual power, and unleashed a ball of black flames.
Hua Changxi dodged, but although she moved quickly, the black flames unexpectedly exploded in mid-air. Countless black flames scattered, and finally, one wisp of black flame struck the back of her hand.
The black flame entered Hua Changxi’s body like a drop of water into the sea.
“Clear the path and go kill the other cultivators in the mountain.”
Seeing the black flame enter Hua Changxi’s body, the Qingzhou Branch Leader breathed a sigh of relief and immediately began chanting incantations to issue commands.
Hua Changxi heard a rather loud voice strike her ears, making her want to follow the instructions, but the voice was somewhat faint and not firm enough.
The Qingzhou Branch Leader was only a cultivator at the Qi Sea Realm, and his influence on Hua Changxi, who was at the Core Formation Realm, was limited. Hua Changxi only faltered for a moment before quickly breaking free from the control.
Hua Changxi, who originally had no intention of killing, felt a strong surge of killing intent towards the Qingzhou Branch Leader at this moment.
“Boom~”
The Fire Lotus, which could have been extinguished with a little effort, suddenly blazed with intense light. The Qingzhou Branch Leader, who was trying to escape, watched in horror as the Fire Lotus became more and more solid until he was completely trapped by it.
“No~”
In terror and despair, the Qingzhou Branch Leader was engulfed by the flames.
The cultivators in the mountain who still held onto a sliver of hope shivered upon hearing the Qingzhou Branch Leader’s final scream.
The people from Taisu Palace and the Demon Suppressing Army also heard it.
“As expected, the owner of Five Finger Mountain doesn’t refrain from killing.”
“It’s good that they didn’t go on a killing spree from the start.”
“Quick, retreat!”
“Fairy, are you alright?”
After the Qingzhou Branch Leader was incinerated, Hua Changxi was sensing her body, trying to find the wisp of black flame that had entered her.
Seeing her motionless, the Mountain Spirit was a little worried.
Hua Changxi’s brows furrowed, “Actually, I didn’t want to kill anyone.”
The Mountain Spirit nodded repeatedly, “I know, I know. Fairy is a benevolent and kind person.”
Hua Changxi saw that the Mountain Spirit had misunderstood her meaning, “Don’t flatter me. I truly didn’t want to kill anyone, but just now, I couldn’t suppress the killing intent.”
Although that person from Asura Gate couldn’t control her, she was definitely affected by the black flames.
What exactly were those black flames? They felt like they could control people’s emotions.
Hua Changxi felt a bit worried and decided that after dealing with the Mineral Spirit matter, she would return to the Third Peak to thoroughly examine her body.
“Fatty, are there any trees in the mountain that can isolate auras?”
“Yes, Mystic Wood can isolate all auras.”
Hua Changxi pointed at the black jade lotus petal left by the Asura Gate member, “Get me a piece of it to store this in.”
The Mountain Spirit nodded, disappeared with a ‘swoosh’, and reappeared shortly after with a tree branch as thick as an adult’s thigh in its arms.
Hua Changxi manipulated her spiritual power to simply create a wooden box and placed the black jade lotus petal inside. Ensuring it didn’t emit any strange aura, she then stored it in the Shen Nong Cauldron.
Seeing that the Asura Gate matter was settled, the Mountain Spirit picked up a five-colored worm, about an inch long, wriggling on the ground, “Fairy, look quickly, this is the Mineral Spirit.”
Hua Changxi looked down. With a wave of her hand, the five-colored worm floated into her palm, “This is the Mineral Spirit?”
The Mountain Spirit nodded, “Yes. Those black-robed people were too wicked and greedy. They dug for ore, but they also wanted to take the Mineral Spirit away. If the Mineral Spirit is extracted, the spirit mine becomes a dead mine, and it will be depleted after use.”
Hua Changxi looked at it, “You mean, with the Mineral Spirit, the spirit mine can generate endlessly?”
The Mountain Spirit thought for a moment, “If the circulation of spiritual energy in heaven and earth is not obstructed, then yes.”
Hua Changxi asked, “Is our spiritual energy currently unobstructed?”
The Mountain Spirit replied, “It is obstructed, and severely so. We were sealed, and now spiritual energy is just beginning to revive.”
“Wait.”
Hua Changxi quickly stopped it, “What do you mean by ‘we were sealed’?”
The Mountain Spirit said, “It means we were sealed.”
Hua Changxi asked, “We were sealed? Why were we sealed?”
The Mountain Spirit shook its head, “I don’t know.”
Hua Changxi found that the more she understood, the more confused she became, “We were sealed, so where did the spiritual energy come from?”
The Mountain Spirit explained, “It was accumulated from before. Now that the seal has loosened, spiritual energy is slowly seeping out. Once the seal is completely broken and the spiritual energy from outside enters, spiritual energy will begin to circulate. Otherwise, if we only consume existing spiritual energy, it will be depleted.”
Hua Changxi felt a headache coming on, realizing she had learned something incredibly significant, “Who sealed us?”
The Mountain Spirit shook its head again, “I don’t know either.” As it spoke, it extended its right hand, pinching the tip of its little finger with its thumb, and said with an air of seniority, “The Mountain God is merely a minor deity; I have no way of knowing matters of higher authority.”
Afterward, Hua Changxi learned much about cultivation from the Mountain Spirit. She learned that if the Mineral Spirit was placed anywhere, the spiritual energy of that place would become dense, and after a period of accumulation, new spirit mines could even form.
Hua Changxi and the Mountain Spirit returned the Mineral Spirit to the spirit mine that had been dug.
Watching the Mineral Spirit merge into the spirit mine, Hua Changxi narrowed her eyes, “Most people, upon seeing a spirit mine, would only focus on digging for ore and be content with obtaining spirit stones.”
“But the people of Asura Gate… they seemed to have known about the existence of Mineral Spirits for a long time. Upon seeing a spirit mine, they didn’t dig for spirit stones but directly dug for the Mineral Spirit. This Asura Gate’s inheritance is quite ancient.”
Only with a sufficiently ancient inheritance would one know of the existence of Mineral Spirits.
After recovering the Mineral Spirit, the Mountain Spirit went to patrol the mountain, while Hua Changxi returned to the Third Peak.
The former Monkey Cave had become a Fire Spirit Spring pool. She had been too eager to chase the Mineral Spirit with the Mountain Spirit earlier and hadn’t properly appreciated the scenery here.
Compared to the desolation before, this place was now teeming with life. Fields of spiritual fruit trees made Hua Changxi’s heart swell with joy.
She truly felt an unreal sense of sudden wealth.
Happiness had come too suddenly!
Hua Changxi picked some fire-element spiritual fruits and ate them as she strolled. About a hundred meters from the spring pool, she saw the Buddha’s Hand that had suppressed the Monkey King.
The Buddha’s Hand was now covered in cracks, appearing as if it could turn to dust at any moment.
Hua Changxi walked over and carefully picked up the Buddha’s Hand. When she had looked at it from the cave ceiling while riding the clouds, it had seemed profound. Now, holding it in her hands, it felt even more unfathomably mysterious.
“Buddha’s Palm.”
Hua Changxi saw these four characters on the thumb of the Buddha’s Hand, and her eyes immediately lit up.
Thinking of the giant hand that had once blotted out the sun and seemed poised to destroy the world, she felt a yearning. If only she could possess such power.
“Buddha’s Palm… this should be a Divine Ability.”
Hua Changxi examined the Buddha’s Hand carefully, but no matter how she looked, she couldn’t discern anything further.
Unable to do anything, Hua Changxi could only set the Buddha’s Hand aside, deciding to examine it later. She had intended to place the Buddha’s Hand into the Shen Nong Cauldron, but it wouldn’t fit.
In the end, she could only carefully place the Buddha’s Hand by the spring pool.
Afterward, Hua Changxi took out the Top-grade Fire Spirit Stone Bed and lay down on it. As soon as she began circulating the Little Bird Breathing and Exhalation Method, no, it should be called the Vermilion Bird Breathing and Exhalation Method, she felt something was wrong.
The image of the Vermilion Bird Breathing and Exhalation Method in her mind, which had been very clear before, had now become somewhat dim.
Was it because the Vermilion Bird had flown out of her body?
Hua Changxi could now confidently say that she had received an extraordinary inheritance. This inheritance not only taught cultivation methods but also had a life-saving function.
She knew in her heart that if the Vermilion Bird hadn’t flown out this time, she would have surely died.
Thinking back, she still felt a sense of lingering fear.
Perhaps her entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. In her subsequent actions, she often acted with a gamble-like impulsiveness, never carefully considering the potential consequences or whether she could bear them.
“I must not be so reckless in the future.”
“Steady and long-lasting is the correct path of cultivation.”
Immersing herself in cultivation, Hua Changxi’s consciousness entered her Qi Sea. Upon entering the Qi Sea, ‘she’ saw the Inner Core, and at this moment, ‘she’ was on top of the Inner Core.
Previously, ‘she’ and the Inner Core had been separate.
Hua Changxi didn’t quite understand what was happening, but standing on the Inner Core, the range of the Qi Sea she could see had clearly expanded significantly.
Moreover, below the Inner Core, she saw a wisp of black flame the size of a fingernail.
The black flame had actually entered her Qi Sea!
Hua Changxi tried to extinguish the black flame, but no matter what she did, the black flame burned steadily.
“What exactly is this black flame?”
Hua Changxi would not be able to rest easy without extinguishing the black flame. Thinking of Asura Gate, the creator of the black flame, she decided that once her body fully recovered, she would go find the people of Asura Gate.
She had to understand the function of the black flame!
Hua Changxi began to cultivate. Seeing that the black flame did not hinder her cultivation, she felt slightly relieved.
She cultivated for a day and a night.
When Hua Changxi opened her eyes again, there was an irrepressible excitement in them.
Her cultivation speed had increased. Previously, she could only increase her cultivation by 2000 points of spiritual energy per hour, but now she could increase it by 10,000 points of spiritual energy per hour.
Could it be that her cultivation speed had become so fast because she had merged with her Inner Core?
『 Realm: Core Formation Realm 2,050,000 / 10,000,000 』
Hua Changxi loved the feeling of her cultivation data constantly climbing. For the next month, apart from eating, occasionally chatting with the Mountain Spirit, and observing the Buddha’s Hand, she was completely immersed in cultivation.
While Hua Changxi was diligently cultivating, the entire Great Jin was abuzz with discussions due to the commotion caused by Five Finger Mountain.
The Imperial Court had been trying to conceal the Spiritual Energy Revival, but with the incident at Five Finger Mountain, it was impossible to keep it hidden any longer, no matter how hard they tried.
Even the common folk, who were the least informed, had started spreading news of the Mountain God’s appearance, let alone the well-informed nobles and officials.
At the Medical Affairs Department, at the First Pavilion on Second Street, Gu Jin Fan listened to the discussions of the pavilion disciples with a furrowed brow.
“Did you hear? The strongest combatants in this world are not Martial Artists, but Cultivators.”
“Do you know what a Cultivator is? A Cultivator is an immortal.”
“There are really immortals in this world. It’s unbelievable. I always thought it was nonsense.”
Gu Jin Fan didn’t listen to the gossip any further and turned towards the plaza behind him.
It was better for the Spiritual Energy Revival to spread sooner. This way, local cultivators would have more time to cultivate, so they wouldn’t be completely defenseless when cultivators from outside attacked.
Gu Jin Fan arrived at the plaza, looked at the Medicine Ancestor Cauldron, which was like a pearl covered in dust, and the dilapidated Dan Sheng Hall. He took a deep breath and knocked on that broken door again.
